as in cheeks
the part of the body upon which someone sits
I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in beggars
an idle worthless person
if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoboes
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living
I feel sorry for bums and occasionally give them money
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in lounges
to spend time doing nothing
spent most of the summer just bumming around the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bums
Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Expensive trip to modern backcountry huts Backcountry skiing is no longer just for ski bums.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
And, then, of course, the park was full of bums like us.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
As older leaders retire, the days of bums on seats five days a week are likely to fade with them.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
In later years, the shearling coat in its more Western iteration became a fashion statement beloved by hippies and boho ski bums, and was notably worn with great aplomb by Robert Redford in the 1969 classic Downhill Racer.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2026
With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Ndiaye aside, Everton have long lacked bums-off-seats kinds of players.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Ski bums share the slopes with billionaires.
—Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2024
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.
—Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Expensive trip to modern backcountry huts Backcountry skiing is no longer just for ski bums.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
And, then, of course, the park was full of bums like us.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
As older leaders retire, the days of bums on seats five days a week are likely to fade with them.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
In later years, the shearling coat in its more Western iteration became a fashion statement beloved by hippies and boho ski bums, and was notably worn with great aplomb by Robert Redford in the 1969 classic Downhill Racer.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2026
With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Ndiaye aside, Everton have long lacked bums-off-seats kinds of players.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Ski bums share the slopes with billionaires.
—Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2024
Verb
Critical thinking really bums them out.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bums
Verb
-
The lawsuit, whose defendants include the Department of Homeland Security, argues that federal officers' use of such munitions is a retaliation against protesters that chills their First Amendment rights.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The suit names the Department of Homeland Security and argues that officers’ use of chemical munitions amounts to retaliation that chills First Amendment rights.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nicole Kidman exits the theater on her phone and wanders into a side room; Jessie Buckley strolls out of the theater talking about snacks.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Springtime strolls in these cities are simply unparalleled, thanks to their botanical splendor.—
Jessica Sulima,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Much of the progress toward eliminating sleeping sickness rests on the work of African researchers and patients who took part in the trials, despite difficult conditions.—
Fran Kritz,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
-
From unspoken racial dynamics, like Sid rejecting Tia in favor of her white friends, to the economic worries that become entwined with her self-image, Sid’s precarious new social position rests on a knife’s edge.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Staying socially engaged plays a meaningful role in maintaining cognitive health.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
15 Mar. 2026
-
In this poignant courtroom drama, Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, an attorney who is fired from his law firm upon discovering his sexuality and his AIDS diagnosis.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kutsenko, 31, steps outside into the freezing night, switches on a large rectangular generator and the power kicks back in.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
After a very chilly start to the day, with many spots in North Texas dipping into the 20s during the morning, our southerly flow kicks back in, which will lead to a steady warming trend over the next several days.—
McKenna King,
CBS News,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
What fools these non-OpenAI mortals must be.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.—
Madisen Keavy,
CBS News,
17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bums. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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